What we can do for you

Answers to business problems

So, what kind of business problem do you have?

* Just started and need a path through the minefields
* Bank pressure
* Cash flow all over the place?
* Bogged down in paperwork?
* Don't know where you are?
* Accounts late?
* Under IR investigation?

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The path through the minefields...

The path through the minefields...
Through necessity or because you have a dream, you have taken or you want to take, the big step to being your own boss. If you don't find this just a bit scary, it's because you know all the answers or you are mad.

With the benefit of much experience, we have developed checklists of the areas that must be covered by the new business and can guide you to adopting best practice in the policies and procedures that you introduce. Our policy of fixed price charging means that you can contact us for advice without worrying that the clock is ticking and a big bill is looming. This way, you need never feel you are alone in the minefield.

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Bank pressure

Knowing where you are...

Many small businesses - and some bigger ones - don't have any idea where they are financially. Some use the bank balance; others use a 'feeling in their water'. It's like flying an aeroplane by only looking at the fuel gauge. There are many things that affect your business and its development and you must watch them all.

As all businesses must keep certain financial information, the basics are already there. What is needed is organisation, which is where we come in. If you use our bookkeeping service we'll give you management accounts as a matter of course. If you don't we can prepare them from your manual or computer records.

The benefits to you of this service are:

* Your bank manager will be delighted that you know where you are
* You can check that you are maintaining or improving your margins
* You can focus on key items of cost or performance
* You can keep your eye on expenses
* You will be in a position to plan expenditure to maximise tax benefit
* For limited companies, you will know if you can pay dividends
* Your year-end fees will be reduced
* The risk of undetected fraud is lessened

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Cash flow all over the place?

Forecasting your future...
When you start a business it's a good idea to have a guess at where you will be after your first year. With our help we can develop your plans to build a detailed model of your business - we use the latest software to build up sales and margin calculations, calculate wages from individuals rates and hours and estimate expenses.

From this model we will calculate your break-even point and produce a cash flow in addition to a profit and loss and balance sheet forecast. We'll help you put together a plan for your bankers. We'll compare your actual results with your plan and recalculate your cash flow so you are always looking ahead.

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Bogged down in paperwork?

Planning for your money...
If you don't know where you're going, it won't matter where you end up. Planning is difficult and bothersome, and we can all think of the imponderables that will make the plan wrong as soon as it is decided.

But we can help you with the process; we have a lot of experience of planning in large companies. They invest heavily in securing their future by identifying opportunities and foreseeing problems. Accurate forecasts are essential as they will help you avoid financial danger, predict when you may need to borrow and give you an idea what tax you will have to pay.

If you are experiencing cash flow problems, a detailed forecast is the starting point to finding a way back to recovery. With a detailed model of your business, we can look at the effects of different actions and choose the best to meet your needs.

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Don't know where you are?

Reducing the pressure on you...

For a fixed monthly fee we'll take care of your bookkeeping and/or payroll needs. Just arrange to give us all your invoices, details of what you've banked and paid out and we'll do the rest. For payrolls just tell us about starters and leavers, rates of pay and hours worked. We'll keep the records required by law and we'll look after your VAT returns and tax year-end for PAYE. We don't just process your data; we'll check everything and ask the right questions. When we are happy that everything is correct, we'll give you management accounts.

No more worrying about VAT visits ?. No more time looking for bookkeeping differences - instead, more time to do what you're good at, developing your business.

We will price our services to include completion of year-end accounts and tax returns - so you always know what your total costs are.

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Accounts late?

Not a good idea with the IR and Companies House imposing fines for missed deadlines. There is no real excuse for late accounts, and, you get no benefit from them if they are out of date. Good decisions can only be made with timely information.

We plan our workload well in advance so that we don't get bottlenecks. On receipt of your books we will give you a target date for completion and do our best to meet it.

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Under IR Investigation?
The Inland Revenue now have wider powers for investigation and do not have to give reasons for using them. But the new regime must be watched carefully to ensure that safeguards in the Taxpayers Charter are not ignored.

Plan to protect yourself by making sure that your accounts and records will pass close scrutiny; retain an experienced advisor; and consider taking out insurance.

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Reduced tax bills

So, you want a lower tax bill...
There are only three basic ways to reduce tax:

* Reduce income
* Increase expenses
* Tax efficient investments

So far so good, but your accountant needs to give you more than this. We will keep you up to date with changes in tax legislation; make sure you know the important dates; advise you on the best structure for your business. What we want to do is to monitor the situation with you throughout the year, we can then advise on the timing of asset purchases, taking profits more efficiently etc.

Use our experience to take the uncertainty out of your tax affairs, but we don't encourage you to evade tax; our reputation depends on us giving you above board advice.

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More free time

Is your business ruling your life?

Could you get rid of any bits? How about some paperwork?

If you don't employ a full-time accountant in your business do you have to supervise a bookkeeper? Or even worse, are you your own bookkeeper? What if you could have the services of a qualified accountant - perhaps for less than it costs to use someone completely unqualified? Just think ?.. no more burning the midnight oil trying to balance the bank account ?.. no more sweating over the VAT returns ?.. no more trying to fathom out PAYE tables?.

How many hours a week do you spend on financial admin? How much can you earn per hour? So it's worth thinking how much more you could earn by getting rid of the boring bits.

* Bookkeeping and payroll Services
* Management Accounts

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The information on this site is for general guidance only. It is essential to take professional advice on specific issues about their impact on any individual or entity. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omission or for any person acting or refraining from acting on the information provided on this site.